Clearly, House of the Dragon season 3 is building towards something major taking place in the town of Tumbleton, as evidenced by its fourth episode, simply titled "Tumbleton." The relatively small market town hadn't appeared on screen in either House of the Dragon or the other HBO Westeros shows, Game of Thrones and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, prior to becoming the title setting for Dragon's fourth episode, and it's all of a sudden receiving nearly as much focus and attention as major series landmarks like King's Landing.
According to House of the Dragon's source material, George R. R. Martin's Fire & Blood, Tumbleton becomes the site of two major battles throughout the Dance of Dragons. While the First Battle of Tumbleton marks a major turning point in the ongoing conflict, the second helps change the power dynamics of Westeros forever.
MAJOR SPOILERS ahead from Fire & Blood.
Prelude to the Second Battle of Tumbleton
The First Battle of Tumbleton resulted in the Green forces ransacking Tumbleton, which was at the time aligned with Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy). During the battle, two of the dragonseeds, Targaryen bastards who joined Rhaenyra's side on dragonback, Ser Hugh Hammer (Kieren Bew) and Ser Ulf the White (Tom Bennett), became the "Two Betrayers," turning on the Black armies and giving the Greens two additional dragons.
Once the Greens took Tumbleton, their soldiers began sacking it. Young Prince Daeron Targaryen (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth), sickened by the terrible behavior on display, ordered Ser Hobert Hightower, the Hightower in command after Lord Ormund (James Norton) had died in the battle, to put a stop to it, but Hobert's pleading ultimately fell on deaf ears.
Although the First Battle of Tumbleton was meant to help the Green forces advance towards King's Landing, they instead exercised caution and remained in Tumbleton for some time. Meanwhile Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty), the third dragonseed bastard, aimed to redeem his name in the eyes of his queen, who no longer trusted him. He rallied an army from the Riverlands to take back Tumbleton, riding his own dragon, Seasmoke.
The Second Battle of Tumbleton and the deaths of the dragons
Addam, Seasmoke, and his ragtag team of Rivermen utilized the element of surprise to their advantage, striking the Green forces in the middle of the night to maintain the element of surprise. Seasmoke burned down the soldiers' camps, and the battle itself further decimated the already brutalized town of Tumbleton.
Notably, the battle features the deaths of three different dragonriders, and their dragons with them. Ser Hugh was killed in the commotion while trying to reach his dragon, Vermithor. Daeron also died among the camps, leaving his dragon, Tessarion, riderless for the battle as well. Meanwhile, Addam, on the back of Seasmoke, fought both Vermithor and Tessarion. Addam and Seasmoke battled bravely, ultimately taking down Vermithor, but they themselves perished shortly thereafter. Tessarion, after suffering grievous enough wounds that she couldn't even take flight, was then mercy killed by a Green archer.
Despite the deaths of Addam and Seasmoke, the Second Battle of Tumbleton proved to be a decisive victory for the Blacks. While less than 100 of Addam's rivermen died, they took out over 1,000 Green men, not to mention two Green dragons, their riders, and a Prince. However, despite the Blacks' win, they failed to retake Tumbleton itself, which remained under Green control.
The Second Battle of Tumbleton as a turning point
The Dance of Dragons isn't just a notable moment in Westerosi history for its massive scale and status as a major civil war, it also ushers in the eventual fall of House Targaryen. In pitting members of the ruling house against each other, the conflict results in the deaths of many Targaryen dragons, eventually stripping them of their power.
The Second Battle of Tumbleton sees the deaths of not only three dragons, but their riders as well. As evidenced throughout House of the Dragon season 2's quest to find dragonseeds, not many are able to mount a dragon, so the deaths of Addam, Daeron, and Hugh in addition to their dragons ultimately hurts House Targaryen's source of power.
As seen throughout A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1, House Targaryen will eventually struggle to maintain their control over Westeros without their dragons. As Varys (Conleth Hill) so eloquently puts it in Game of Thrones, "Power resides where men believe it resides," and without their signature dragons, men have a harder and harder time believing the Targaryens are actually as powerful as they claim to be. With three dragons dying in the Second Battle of Tumbleton, the Targaryens find their claim in jeopardy for the first time, which will ultimately lead to Robert's Rebellion nearly two centuries later.
For more from the world of Westeros, make sure to tune into House of the Dragon season 3, airing Sundays on HBO Max.
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